This article is included in our FY24 Impact Report, which can be viewed in its entirety HERE.
Through the grant support that Northwest Minnesota Foundation funnels to Red Lake Nation, the goal is always to support the tribal community in achieving its own goals.
Recent NMF grants have helped expand the Izhaadaa Agwajiing program (translated as “Let’s Go Outside”), which offers families more ways to enjoy outdoor activities. Led by the tribe, this effort is part of a broader initiative to prioritize culture in community wellness.
Izhaadaa Agwajiing, administered by Ombimindwaa Gidinawemaaganinaadog (“Lifting Up Our Relatives”), receives NMF funding alongside support from other sources. Red Lake Nation is one of eight tribal nations in the U.S. selected as a demonstration site for the federal Tiwahe Program, which funds tribal models to enhance family health and
“Me, as a kid, living here, there was nothing to do, you just walk around, get in trouble,” said Joshua Jones, a hydrologist with the DNR. “We have a responsibility to provide (youth) the opportunities to do things, and now we have those capabilities.”
The program offers access to cross-country skis, snowshoes, mountain bikes, fat tire bikes, and more. One new trailhead building just opened, and another larger will open this fall. These connect to a network of trails, with future plans including a zipline and all-terrain track chairs for people with disabilities.
Further, the program has funded extensive beach restoration outside of the Obimindwaa building, which provides local children a safe and clean place to recreate in the water; lifeguards will be hired next year for its first full summer. Izhaadaa Agwajiing has also funded Brazilian jiu-jitsu learning opportunities and pop-up events at the water’s edge and in Lower Red Lake itself.
Izhaadaa Agwajiing also provides work opportunities for teens in foster care and juvenile detention. This past summer, 33 youth were employed through the program. The impact has been significant, as demonstrated by one teen who was on federal probation. After working with Josh and participating in the program, the teen returned to court and was able to remove his ankle monitor and return home.
“(The probation officer) told me the changes that they’d seen in him since he started working in this program,” Josh said. “He’s a completely different kid, and he’s a natural leader.”
NMF remains committed to continuous partnership with Red Lake Nation and individuals like Josh to support Indigenous youth health and wellness.
You can learn more about the Izhaadaa Agwajiing program by following its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089014514859
